Friday, September 18, 2009

More to follow as we continue to determine our staff.. We will have all Matchup Breakdowns up by Noon 2mor! We'd rather give out good information and take some extra time than force out something that isn't very useful.. Enjoy!!

Carolina @ Atlanta

Before the season began, this would have been a toss-up, but after their week 1 performance against Philadelphia we have to question Caronlina's chances of winning this football game.. Atlanta looked good in their Week 1 victory over the Dolphins and luckily get to open the season w/ two home games.. Their home crowd should give them an early advantage as long as they can avoid mistakes.. Carolina is very capable of winning this game if Atlanta gives them a few breaks early in the game.. That being said, a combination of Carolina's quarterback status and the potential for Atlanta becomming an NFC contendor have us picking Atlanta in this one.. Don't look for it to be a high scoring affair though and yards may be hard to come by if both defenses play well.. Carolina has one Must Start in this matchup and it's DeAngelo Williams.. Although Carolina's passing game needs some attention, we think Williams has the potential to break out in this matchup.. Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, and Roddy White are Must Starts for Atlanta.. Everyone else is questionable at best..

It appears as though Matthew Stafford will have a rough go of things in week 2 against Minnesota's defense.. As of right now, Calvin Johnson is really the only Must Start for Detroit and in this matchup you'd almost have to consider him an iffy start as well.. This game is setup for Adrian Peterson to have a monster day, possibly breaking a record in the process.. We should see Brett Favre get a bit more comfortable in the pocket, but we don't see him having a huge day.. Passing yards could be at a bare minimum in this matchup.. Unless you're in a deep league, we'd recommend you find a starting quarterback for week 2 in a different game.. We like one Minnesota receiver to have a good day, but it's not Bernard Berrian or Sydney Rice.. Percy Harvin is our sleeper projection in this matchup.. His big play ability and Adrian Peterson's production should equal a lopsided victory for the Vikings..

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Colts Wide Receiver Anthony Gonzalez will be out 2-8 weeks, but his injury will not require surgery... Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie will be the #2 and #3 receivers for Indianapolis, unless the Colts sign free agent WR Hank Baskett.. Neither Garcon nor Collie should be considered viable fantasy options at this point.. Even if Indy happens to sign Baskett before their Week 2 matchup, don't expect much production from him until he gets comfortable w/ the offense.. This actually raises Dallas Clark's stock a considerable ammount..

Expect them sometime 2mor... We hope everyone enjoys the site and information we're providing.. We've put in a lot of time and effort and hope that it will be a useful tool for fantasy football managers throughout the season...

*Even w/ the injury to Tomlinson, don't expect a huge day from the speedster Sproles.. Baltimore did allow Kansas City to move the ball on Sunday, but not much of it game from the ground game.. Sproles is a quick, elusive back, but Baltimore's D should be able to shut down San Diego's run game, especially if Tomlinson is out or not effective.. Phillip Rivers should air it out in this contest, and while Sproles is an excellent option out of the backfield, we feel there are too many options for Rivers..

Two matchups this week give us our Four RB Gems for Week 2.. Tampa Bay @ Buffalo and Oakland @ Kansas City.. While three of the running backs were impressive in week 1, we expect the 4th to produce big numbers at home this week.. For owners with any of these four Running Backs, we highly recommend that you start them this week..Fred Jackson (RB-BUF) vs. Tampa Bay*We like Jackson this week against a suspect, young Tampa Bay defense.. We ranked him #11 for the Week 2 RB Rankings.. Although Jackson's fantasy production will be in question once Marshawn Lynch returns from his suspension, until then, he is a must play almost every week.. Lack of depth at the running back position will result in a heavy work load for Jackson in Week 2.. Not to mention his ability to catch balls out of the backfield..

Projected Stats: 20 carries, 110 yards, 1 td, 4 receptions, 50 yards

Cadillac Williams (RB-TB) @ Buffalo*Even though Tampa Bay has a crowded backfield, we like what we saw from the Cadillac last week.. He may not be able to make it through the entire season, carrying the load each week, but we like his chances of breaking out again this week.. As long as the game is close and Buffalo doesn't run off with it, Tampa Bay should stick to a heavy ammount of runnning the football.. He won't be much of a threat out of the backfield catching passes, but he's liable to get 15-20 carries this week..

Projected Stats: 15 carries, 65 yards, 1 td

Darren McFadden (RB-OAK) @ Kansas City*McFadden's only 100 yard rushing game came against Kansas City and we like his chances to do that once again in Week 2... A suspect Chiefs defense should have McFadden owners licking their chops.. Michael Bush will again steal some of the carries away from McFadden, but we likehis chances of busting a couple big runs in this one.. Another great option out of the backfield, expect McFadden to get involved in Oakland's short passing game...

Projected Stats: 15 carries, 105 yards, 1 td, 5 receptions, 40 yards

Larry Johnson (RB-KC) vs. Oakland*Good possibility of this game procuding two 100 yard backs.. A questionable Chiefs offense line is cause for concern, although, this game is at Arrowhead where the Chiefs should maintain somewhat of a home-field advantage.. If Matt Cassell is out for this one, LJ's stock rises quite a bit w/ Brodie Croyle back under center again.. Either way, Larry should get the ball early and often as Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley continues to try and figure out a truedirection for the team..

25) Tony Scheffler (vs. CLE)*QB change hurt Scheffler... Remains to be seen if his production will be worthy of a start..

26) Robert Royal (@ DEN)*Great numbers in Week 1.. Inconsistent quarterback play could result in roller coaster season..

27) Brandon Pettigrew (@ MIN)*If Detroit has trouble pounding it inside the redzone, Pettigrew could be a good option..

28) Randy McMichael (@ WAS)*Quite a stretch here considering the state of the Rams offense... Don't expect much here..

29) Derek Schouman (vs. TB)*If you have no other choice than one of Buffalo's Teight Ends, we suggest Schouman first..

30) Shawn Nelson (vs. TB)*You probably deserve 0 points if this is the only TE you have on your roster...

Anything past that, and it's really a toss-up.. If you have to go deeper than that to find a TE to start this week, lets just say you have problems at that position.. Look @ Matchups, Banged up Starting TE's, flip a coin... If you get more than 3-4 points from someone, consider it a victory..

Here's a list of the players who performed well on Monday Night that could be available in your league and maybe worth picking up... We'll try to get this out on Tuesday's each week..

1) Benjamin Watson (TE-NE)*Watson had 77 yards receiving and 2 tds.. Hard to say if he will put up numbers similar to thatevery week, but he's always been a reliable option for Tom Brady.. If you're weak at the TEposition or just feel like taking a gamble, snatch Watson up if he's available in your league..

2) Louis Murphy (WR-OAK)*Murphy had 87 yards receiving and 1 td... Heyward-Bay is/was considered Oakland's #1 receiver, but another rookie may end up being more productive than him.. Louis Murphy..Could be a one night wonder, but his week #2 matchup looks promising as well....

3) Fred Taylor (RB-NE)*Taylor had 25 yards rushing and 1 td.. Appears as though he will take most the goaline and short yardage carries for the Pats.. This means touchdowns, but yardage will vary considerably from week to week.. In smaller leagues, Taylor is probably allready taken, but he may still be available in some smaller leagues.. If he's available and you've got the likes of Larry Johnson, Steven Jackson, Ladainian Tomlinson.. you might think about adding some depth to the position..

4) Michael Bush (RB-OAK)*Bush had 55 yards rushing and 1 td.. McFadden is the "starter", but inconsistent play and/or injury could result in Bush getting a major load increase.. If that's the case, he's got the ability to gouge defenses over the course of a game.. Great handcuff option for McFadden owners.. Smaller leagues, that's probably the only reason you'd have Bush on your roster but in deeper leagues, Bush should be looked at as a bench/fill-in player..

5) Kevin Faulk (RB-NE)*Not much on the ground, but Faulk managed 50 yards receiving, making some crucial plays on 3rd downs.. Problem is, fantasy football doesn't award players for making big catches/yards on 3rd down.. If, for some reason, the Pats end up having RB's go down to injury, Faulk could become a deadly weapon for teams in deeper leagues.. Right now, we'll say he still belongs on the waiver wire unless you're in a 20+ team league... In that case, pick him up if you need him...

The first week of the NFL season is in the books, and it offered up the usual surprises and last minute finishes we've come to expect.. Each week, we will select the game of the week, stud of the week and of course the dud of the week.. Here we go...

Game of the Week: Buffalo 24, New England 25

This game gets the nod of the Denver/Cincinnati game only because of the teams involved and the Monday Night Football aspect.. Buffalo came out early and dominated on both sides of the ball.. Tom Brady looked rusty to say the least in the first half, overthrowing receivers and looking somewhat uncomfortable in the pocket.. As the game progressed, however, Tom Brady showed the world that he can still lead his team to a last minute victory.. Give Buffalo credit, they hung in their throughout and really should have won the football game.. It's unusual for a quarterback to attempt 53 passes (Tom Brady) and their team win the game, but that was the case in this one.. Brady completed 12 passes to Randy Moss as well as 12 passes to Wes Welker.. Our sleeper projection, Joey Galloway, went without a catch.. Better luck next week...

Hands down, Drew Brees takes this award for Week #1... Granted he was playing the Detroit Lions, but this has to be a sign of things to come this season.. Brees lit it up last year and this was a sign that he should continue to put up huge numbers every week.. With a somewhat questionable running game, Brees could be leaned on even more this year to air it out.. Especially if they can move the ball like they did against the Lions.. Brees was finding targets at ease, and big plays were o-plenty... Start Drew Brees each with, confident he will carry you to victory..

Dud of the Week: Steve Smith - CAR/WR (21 yards receiving, 0 tds)

This has everything to do with Jake Delhomme and his melt down against Philadelphia, but if Carolina doesn't have a reliable option to get Steve Smith the ball, his numbers will continue to suffer.. Delhomme is still the starter in Carolina, but expect the leash to become tighter and tighter, especially if these types of performances continue.. Might be a good time to look to trade Steve Smith if you own him... Sell high now, and cross your fingers that Carolina doesn't turn into a pass happy offense overnight...

Monday, September 14, 2009

Here's 5 players that may be available in your league.. These are not neccessarily the 5 best performances from Sunday, rather a combination of their performance and expected production in the coming weeks..

Devery Henderson (WR-NO) - 103 yards, 1 td*As with last year, his production will probably be again like a roller coaster ride, depending on how many yards/points New Orleans puts up.. Against weaker defensive teams, Henderson is actually a pretty good start..

Todd Heap (TE-BAL) - 74 yards, 1 td*Once a top 3 TE, Heap has had problems with injuries the past few seasons.. For Joe Flacco to have another successful season, he may have to rely on Todd Heap quite a bit.. Still a lot of TE's that should be played before Heap, but in deeper leagues, he shouldn't be on the waiver wire much longer..

Justin Gage (WR-TEN) - 78 yards, 1 td*Former Missouri TE seemed to be Kerry Collins favorite target against Pittsburg.. Will that continue throughout the season?? That remains to be seen, but someone in need of WR help could look to Gage for some production.. Beware of a disapeering act on any given week...

Mark Sanchez (QB-NYJ) - 272 yards, 1 td, 1 int*Against a decent defense, in his first career NFL start, Sanchez was able to manage the game and guide his team to a victory.. There will be setbacks throughout the season, but Sanchez is a viable play against weaker defenses or for a bye week fill-in... In deeper leagues, Sanchez could be a savior for teams experiencing injuries or lack of production from the QB position..

Robert Royal (TE-CLE) - 60 yards, 1 td*Expect Brady Quinn to utilitize the TE as he progresses as a starting quarterback.. Questionable running game could result in Quinn having to drop back and throw the ball 30 times a game.. Although redzone trips will be somewhat limited, Royal will get looks when Cleveland is inside the 20.. Quite a reach in a smaller league, but in a 16+ team league, Royal could provide suprising results..

This has all the makings of a route.. San Diego is poised to make a playoff push this year as they managed to escape the preseason without any real injuries.. Rivers, LT, Gates, and the emerging Vincent Jackson should put on a show in the Black Hole.. Oakland has a lot of questions marks, starting with the Quarterback position.. Jamarcus Russell has showed signs of improvement in the preseason, but this opening game against the Chargers will certainly be a test for him.. If he can get some production from the running game early, Oakland could keep this game close for awhile.. If San Diego gets rolling early, look out, this could be a blow out of mass proportions.. Start all San Diego skilled positions and laugh as you compile large ammount of points.. For those who own Oakland players, as with Buffalo, limit your expectations..

The Bills will have to show they can move the ball in this one or it could get ugly early.. They may be able to catch the Pat's off-guard w/ the No Huddle offense, but it's doubtful they can keep pace with the high octane Pat's offense.. If Buffalo can jump on the Pat's early and get the crowd out of the game, they could have a shot in this one.. Start Brady, Moss, Welker and expect big numbers from them.. Toss-up on who will get the carries in the NE backfield, so any RB for the Pat's is a questionable start.. Look for Fred Jackson to pop a big run or two and end up as Buffalo's only real fantasy point producer.. Buffalo's receiver (Owens/Evans) owners should limit expectations.. 50 yards and a touchdown would be a shocker for either player.. With Brady coming off a season ending injury, could be a defensive battle, but I see New England putting points on the board as the game progresses..